Real judgements, distilled
Court judgements broken down into the case type, how the decision played out, and the lesson worth remembering, with the full judgement available as a PDF.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1094
An older qualification must still satisfy the eligibility rules governing the appointment sought. Here, the certificate's early date did not secure reinstatement, and rejection of eligibility should not be confused with a conclusive finding that the certificate was forged.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1095
A party benefiting from a conditional stay must meet its deposit requirement or face enforcement. The additional ₹15 crore deposit secures the pending dispute; it does not settle the land's final compensation or amount to an immediate payment to the landowners.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1093
An alleged attempt to kill does not become a lesser offence simply because the victim avoided a fatal injury. Restoring this charge means the accusation must be tried; it does not establish that the accused is guilty.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1090
For the assessment in this case, assistance reducing ordinary manufacturing costs was taxable even though the government wanted to encourage industry. The purpose and actual operation of the particular subsidy mattered more than its general development label.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1091
Proof that someone caused a serious injury does not by itself prove the additional ingredients of robbery. A court can substitute a lesser offence supported by the evidence; the sentencing reduction here depended on Appa's particular circumstances.
Special Leave Petition (Civil) · 2026 INSC 1092
Someone challenging an election must ensure that the personal-presentation requirement is met and can be proved. Merely entering the court building does not establish compliance, and a filing defect can end the challenge before the election allegations are examined.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1088
An employee who retires on 30 June may be entitled to the increment that falls due on 1 July after completing a year of service. Authorities that delay paying the amounts due must pay interest after the deadline set by the court.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1089
Recruitment must follow the qualifications stated in the advertisement and the governing Recruitment Rules. A court will not override a merit-based eligibility decision made under those rules merely because the candidate concerned was higher in the written test.
Writ Petition (Criminal) · 2026:DHC:8797
A person who occupied property only because of employment has no independent right to remain once the employment and decree end. Even when a petition fails, courts can make practical arrangements to let a person recover personal belongings.
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Log in to see moreFour sets of "adoptive parents" in Telangana had taken in infant girls (aged between two days and twenty days old) through informal arrangements facilitated by common friends or biological parents unable to raise them, and raised the children for periods ranging from several months to nearly three years. Following an FIR alleging illegal child trafficking/adoption, police forcibly took custody of the children in May 2024 and handed them to a Child Welfare Committee. A Single Judge of the Telangana High Court held the police action illegal and allowed the families to retain custody, but a Division Bench reversed this, citing non-compliance with the Juvenile Justice Act's procedural safeguards for children in need of care.
The Supreme Court, invoking its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice, directed that custody of all four children be restored to their respective adoptive families. It grounded this in the "best interest of the child" principles codified in Section 3 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 (including family responsibility, safety, institutionalization as a last resort, and repatriation/restoration) noting the strong bonds already formed between the children and their caregivers. As a safeguard, it directed District/State Legal Services Authorities to monitor the children's welfare through quarterly reports and periodic home inspections, without foreclosing any other legal proceedings the authorities might pursue.
Even where adoption formalities were not strictly followed, courts will prioritize a young child's actual bonding and best interests over rigid procedural compliance, while still building in independent oversight to protect the child going forward.
